Mr. Alban Sumana Bagbin, Minister of Health, has advised professional groups within the Ghana Health Service (GHS) to eschew rivalry, and work as a team to offer efficient services to their clients.
He lamented the creation of independent institutions within the Ministry, making ministerial supervision of such institutions and agencies difficult, since a simple intervention or advice from the Minister them was considered political interference.
He said several bills had been laid before Parliament to offset that situation.
Mr Bagbin was speaking at a three-day annual conference of the Association Health Services Administrators, Ghana, in Wa on Thursday.
The participants would articulate views of the Association on topical issues at the conference that was being organised on the theme: "towards the achievement of MDGs 4 and 5: the role of the Health Services Administrator".
He announced that Dr. Ebenezer Appiah-Denkyerah, Director of Human Resource of the GHS, has been appointed as the substantive Director-General of the Service
Mr. Albert Asiedu-Offei national President of the association, called for the establishment of the position of Chief Health Administrator.
He said that the Chief Health Services Administrator at the GHS headquarters would be responsible for designing programmes for the development of Health Service Administrators, their promotions, salary levels and welfare.
Alhaji Amidu Suleman, Upper West Regional Minister, acknowledged the manpower deficits in the health delivery system, and expressed worry that the region had only 14 doctors out of a required figure of 37 and also had a short fall of 93 midwives and 51 medical assistants.
He appealed to the Municipal and District Assemblies to sponsor more students and practitioners, who would be willing to return to fill vacancies after their studies,
to undertake health-related courses, and to give more incentives to doctors and nurses, to motivate them to accept postings to deprived areas.